ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Sean Murphy hit a two-run homer and the red-hot Atlanta Braves began a series between teams with the best records in the major leagues with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.
With right-hander Charlie Morton (9-6) pitching into the seventh inning and Murphy extending a power surge that has seen Atlanta homer in 24 straight outings, the Braves won for the 19th time in 21 games to improve baseball’s best mark to 59-28.
The AL-best Rays (57-34) lost their season-high sixth straight despite holding the Braves to two hits.